Knockdown booth



(No Model.)

P. ZUOKRIEGEL.

KNOGKDOWN BOOTH.

Patented June 2,1891.

W/ TNE SSE S BVM ATTORNEYS Tn: News varen; co., wow-umol, msmnsmn, o. c.f

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KNOCKDOWN BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,528, dated June 2,1891.

Application filed May 15| 1890. Serial No. 351,914. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER ZUCKRIEGEL, of Tell City, in the count-y ofPerry and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved KnockdownBooth, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an iinprovenientin knockdown booths, and has forits object to provide a series of booths or a single booth especiallyadapted for usein voting under what is known as the Australian system.77

The object of the invention is to provide a booth which will affordsecrecy for the voter, and also to provide a means whereby the booth orbooths may be expeditiously knocked down and folded up in a smallcompass for transportation or for preservation; and a further object ofthe invention is to so construct the booth or booths that while amplesecrecy is afforded the voter the judges of an election may determine,without entering the booth, whether or not it is occupied and alsowhetherit contains more than one person.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference .is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis speciiication, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a series of connected booths adaptedto be suspended from the wall or supported upon the door, the saidbooths being constructed in such manner that the lower portion thereofis open. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the folded boothstaken on line 2 2 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is an end view of the foldedbooths. Fig. et is a detail side elevation of one of the curtain s polesadapted for use in connection with a series of single booths. Fig. 5 isa perspective view of a slightlynnodified forni of a group of booths.Fig. G is a transverse section taken through the hinged portion of thebooth shown in Fig. 5 when folded. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of asingle booth. Fig. S is a transverse section taken through the hingedportion of the single booth when the same is folded, and Fig. 9 is adetail side elevation of a curtain-pole for use in connection with theconnected booths.

That form of booth illustrated in Fig. 1 consists of a back board 10,which may made be of any desired length, the length of the said boardbeing ordinarily sucient to constitute the backs of three (more or less)independent booths. The back board 10, at each end upon its front face,is provided with an integral or attached vertical rib 11, and upon thefront edge ofeach of said ribs a side board 12 is hinged, the thicknessof the side boards being essentially equivalent to the width of theinner faces of the ribs 11. Upon theinner face of the back board 10 twointermediate partition-boards 13 and 11 are hinged, which boards are ofa width corresponding to the combined width of the side boards and theribs 11, and the said intermediate partitioneboards are so hinged to theback board that they may be folded upon the back board in such mannerthat the outer edge of each of the said interinediate boards willessentially con tact with the inner face of-each rib 11. Theintermediate partition-boards 13 and 14, and likewise the side boards12, are of a length corresponding to the width of the back board, andupon the inner face of the back board, at its lower edge, a shelf ordesk 15 is rigidly attached, which shelf or desk extends from end to endof the board and is divided into two longitudinal sections a and d',which sections are hinged together in such inanner that the outersection is capable of folding upward upon the partitions when closed.

To the outer face of each of the side boards 12, near the upper rearcorner, the upper end of a leg 1G is pivoted, and each of said legs isprovided, preferably, with a thumb-screw 17, adapted to enter the edgesof the desk or shelf 15 when the legs are in the vertical position, inwhich position they tend to support the booth. The legs are about aslong again as the length of the side boards and intermediate partitions,and when the booth is folded out for use, as shown in Fig-1, the sideboards and intermediate partitions eX- tend at a right angle outwardfrom the back board, and are held in this position by means ofthumb-screws 17, passing through the shelf or desk plate 15, as also bya rod 1S, which rod is provided with spaced integral or attached pins19, adapted to enter holes in the upper edges of the said side boards 12and ICO interinediate partitions 13 and This rod is adapted to act as acurtain pole or rod;V`

and upon it a nuinber of curtains 2O are held to slide corresponding tothe number of booths of the set. The curtains are of the saine length asthe side boai'ds and partitions. Thus when a voter enters either of thebooths and draws the curtain he has all the secrecy that the lawrequires, and the judges of election are enabled by reason of theexposure of the lower portion of the voters person to know whether ornot the booth is occupied and whether more than one person is in thebooth without drawing the cuitatin thereof. If the booths are to beattached to the wall, the legs 16 niay be dispensed with and the saidbooths be suspended by eyes 21, attached to the upper or rear edges ofthe back board. These eyes may be utilized also to steady the booth,even when it is supported upon the legs 16.

In the form of booth illustrated in Fig. 5 the construction is somewhatdifferent, and consists of three back boards 22, 23,' and 24., whichback boards are preferably about seven feet in height, more or less. Tothe inner face of each outer back board 22 and 24. at

vthe outer edge a longitudinal vertical rib 25 is attached, and to eachof the ribs 25 a side board 26, of equal length with the back board, ishinged to fold inward. To the inner edge of the back board 22 one rearside face of an intermediate partition 27 is hinged, the opposite rearside face of said partition being provided with an attached or integralloiigitudinal rib 28, and to the longitudinal edge of this rib theopposed edge of the back board 23 is hinged. The opposite edge of theback board 23 is hinged to the opposed face of the back board 24., andto the inner face of the back board 24: at its uinner edge a secondintermediate partition 29 is hinged in such inanner that when the boothis set up and the partitions extend outward at a right angle to the backthe rear edge of the partition 29 will contact with the inner face ofthe back board 23. A curtain rod or rods 18, similar to that abovedescribed in connection with the other forin of booth, is provided forthis forin, and the said curtaiii-rod is likewise provided with curtains20. The side boards and intermediate partitions of the booth are ofequal length with the back, whereby they may be stood on either end; butthe curtains 2O are but half the length of the back, in order that thelower portion of the person of the voter may be exposed.

Vhen the partitions and side boards are folded out for use, a detachableshelf 30 is located in each booth transversely at about the center ofit, which shelves are ordinarily made to contact at their ends with thelower walls of upper panels 31, formed in the side boards andpartitions, andthe rear edge of the shelves is ordinarily inade toengage with the back boards, and the said shelves are fastened on eachside of the partitions and side boards by hooks` which penetrate thewalls of the panels. By this means the partitions and side boards arenot dependent upon the curtain-rods for their position.

In the construction of a single booth a back board 32 is provided with arib 33 upon the inner face at one edge, and to said rib aside board 34.is hinged, the opposite side board 35 being hinged directly to the outerlongitudinal edge of the back board. The saine form of curtain-rod andcurtain is employed in this form of booth as has heretofore beendescribed, and a shelf or desk 30 is likewise used.

A single curtain-rod may be employed to extend from end to end of aseries of booths, or a rod may be used in connection with eachcompartment, which rods niay be provided with two spaced lugs at eachend, as shown in Fig. 4. A number of single booths may be connected toform a series by employing curthe direction of the opposite side board.The y side boards are then folded in upon the partitions, the legs whenused having been previously carried up out of the Way, and the said legsare then folded one upon the other longitudinally of the back and incontact with the side boards. The curtain-rods are placed or packed inthe hollow formed by the panels, and to provide for ample space the backboards may also be paneled. The section a of the desk is folded upward,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In that form of booth shown in Fig. 5 the partition 27 is carriedoutward in the direction of the contiguous side board and folded uponthe back board 22 and the side board 26 is folded upon the partition.The back board 23 is then folded upon the side board, the partition 3lis folded upon the back board 24, and both the partition and the backboard are folded to contact with the rear face of the back board 23. Theremaining side board is then folded down to place, as illustrated in thecross-section, Fig. 6.

It will be observed that when-the booth shown in Fig. 5 is folded it isthicker than the folded booth shown in Fig. 2, but not as lonO.

I folding a single booth the side board. hinged directly to the backboard is folded upon the inner face of the latter, and -the other sideboard is then folded to contact therewith, as is illustrated in Fig.

Vhen the form of booth shown in Fig. 1, for instance, is to be placed ina schoolhouse, after the election the booths may be folded and hung uponthe wall and used as ablackd board. This is accomplished by hinging aIOO IIO

board l5 to the outer edge of the desk l5, having one prepared surface,the said board being of sufficient length to completely cover, or almostso, the front of the folded article, as shown in Fig. 3. When the boothis in use, board l5 hangs down from the desk, as shown in Fig. l. Thecurtains are preferably transparent, or practically so, being usuallymade of a light fabric having the characteristics of Wire-gauze, forinstance, enabling the person in the booth to readily observe objectsoutside, but eiiectually preventing outside parties from looking throughthe curtain into the booth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. ln a knockdown booth, the combination, with aback, of side boards hinged thereto and adapted to fold inward, adetachable clamping-rod having depending` pins 19 19 to engage the sideboards and hold them spaced, a curtain suspended from the rod, the lowerhalf of the booth being open to disclose whether or not it isoccupied,substantially as set forth.

2. ln a knockdown booth, a back, sides hinged thereto to foldthereagainst, a folding shelf, and ablackboard hinged to the foldingshelf to swing over the booth when folded,

` for the purpose set forth.

A knockdown booth, comprising the back l0, having supporting eyes 2l.,end ribs ll, a series of hinged side boards, a rod having depending pinsto engage said side boards and hold them extended, curtains on said rodbetween the side boards, shelf l5, having a hinged section, legs 1G,pivoted at their upper ends to the upper portions of the outer sideboards, and set-screws passed through the legs into the ends of the saidshelf, substantially as set forth.

4C. In a knockdown booth, the combination, with a back board, of aseries of partitionboards hinged to the back board and capable offolding thereon and upon each other, a clamping-rod connecting andbinding the partitions, and curtains attached to the said rod,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a knockdown booth, the combination, with a back, of partitionshinged to the back and adapted to fold thereon and upon each other, asectional hinged desk attached to the back beneath the partitions, aclamping-rod engaging with the partitions, and curtains attached to thesaid rod, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

PETER ZUCKRIEGEL.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. HUBER, SAMUEL ALTHoF.

